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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — a coil
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. firm — steady
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pop — soda
  11. firm — decided
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rock — music
  14. pop — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fork — in a road
  19. spring — the season
  20. pop — to visit
  21. firm — a company
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tube — a container
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com